Voters ‘misled’ by McDonald
THE Independent Council Election Observer has found veteran councillor Daphne McDonald misled voters by publishing comments of support from a surf lifesaving club president.
The Bulletin last week reported that candidate Bern Young complained to the ICEO after Palm Beach Surf Life Saving Club president Mary Farrell emailed members telling them “that the comments were not authorised and should not have been published”.
In the comments on a brochure released by Cr McDonald, Ms Farrell is alleged to have said: “Without your diligent persistent help our club would have struggled to survive the threats of developers that have knocked more than once.”
In his findings for the ICEO, District Court Judge John Robertson found from correspondence that Ms Farrell indicated she was “super happy to say a few words”, and
Cr McDonald maintained from the conversation she had with her that Ms Farrell told her to “amend if required”.
“In my opinion, Cr McDonald was entitled to publish in her brochure the endorsement … together with the photograph of Ms Farrell. On the evidence, I am unable to say whether Ms Farrell gave Cr McDonald an oral authorisation to ‘amend if required’,” he said.
“However, in my opinion, at the very least Cr McDonald was obliged to check first with Ms Farrell that the words actually used in the brochure were acceptable to her before she authorised its publication to the electorate. I accordingly uphold the review request.”
Ms Young yesterday welcomed the findings, including the judge’s concluding comments of “I accordingly uphold the review request”.
“With those words, the respected retired District Court Judge John Robertson confirmed that the published endorsement could mislead voters before they cast their vote. It is true that the ICEO said Cr McDonald was authorised to print the original endorsement … but that is not the endorsement that went in the brochure,” Ms Young said.
“Daphne McDonald rewrote the endorsement and says she rewrote it based on years of other statements by the club about her role as councillor.”
Cr McDonald told the Bulletin the ICEO was satisfied that she was authorised to publish an endorsement by Ms Farrell and to use her photograph in her brochure.
She said the ICEO was given a comprehensive version of events.
“It is my position that I subsequently received an oral authorisation from Ms Farrell to amend the wording,” Cr McDonald said.
“The Office of ICEO opinion as to that wording was that I ought to have resubmitted the wording back to Ms Farrell prior to publication. I accept this opinion of the ICEO and this is a practice that I will accept in the future.”